With gaming often bringing me into a really depressive headspace sometimes with how the markets are developing, whats a game you can always go to and just be lost in, or just be happy with?
Personally i would go for advance wars 1 and 2 on the gba (there is no remake and never will be)
the artstyle, the music, the game-play is just simple, yet effective, a sublime experience of very fun times.
Whats yours?
Probably strange to call them comfort games but I’ve played them so many times they’ve become comfort games: Mass Effect trilogy, Dragon Age games, KOTOR and KOTOR II, and even SWTOR.
Yes, I recognise I have a BioWare bias but honestly no games feel like theirs. I hope they stick around for a long time and manage to claw their way back to being a trusted RPG maker.
I think the familiar world building, the fantastic characters, the cinematic conversations, dialogue options all make it comforting to me. And they’re my happiest gaming memories.
This isn’t entirely out of the RPG wheelhouse but still kinda outta left field, but have you tried CRPGs like Wasteland or Divinity: Original Sin 2? I haven’t played much Bioware but they seem very character driven, and those other games are very much character driven.
I haven’t played Wasteland but I’ve played DOS2 and the original DOS so many times! Love them both, and DOS2 is the best game I’ve played in terms of build (I’m prone to going full Aerotheurge on most playthroughs). You should definitely give BioWare games a try. They’re more casual compared to DOS but the world building, characters and narrative are better than DOS.
P.S. I’ve never played Baldur’s Gate but I’m looking forward to Baldur’s Gate 3!